HOLES AND CRACKS IN WALLS

Most walls in a home will develop a crack, or cracks, at some time, including yours and mine. For smaller ones, it’s fairly easy to repair it, a DIY job, but if there’s there’s a large area of damage, it’s probably best to replaster the whole wall, which might entail some specialist help. Whatever you do, don’t rush this kind of job—a bit of patience is required for this work.

 

You’ll need a filling knife, plasterer’s trowel, hand water sprayer, plastic spreader, an old, wide paintbrush, sanding paper and block, battens, masonry nails, and hammer.

 

There’s a wide range of materials on the market, which is a bonus for the DIY  enthusiast. Use general purpose filler for smaller cracks and holes, and to finish, use a layer of fine surface filler.For the larger areas, use DIY repair and skimming plaster. 

 

Before making a start, remember what I said about patience—it’s needed from the outset, not just when things seem to be going wrong. Make hairline cracks bigger using a Stanley knife or similar, so that the filler will grip. Make sure that you brush out any loose material, and spray lightly with water. Use the plastic spreader or a filling knife to force the filler into the cracks and holes. Even off the edges the edges by stroking the filler with the knife in all directions.

 

For a larger hole, cut back the edges to the sound plaster, and ensure that you remove all the dust. Apply the first layer of filler up to about 5mm (1/4 in) thick, and press in well. Add more thin layers as necessary. Use a wide plastic spreader for the last layer, making sure it’s flush with the wall surface.

 

If you have to do an area  which is over 1 square metre, you’ll have to level it with a plasterer’s trowel. Chip back any loose edges, and press the new plaster into the hole with upward sweeps. You can get rid of any airholes using a fine surface filler. Load your tool evenly,and press firmly against the surface to save you the need for sanding. Drying times recommended by the manufacturers should be followed.

 

If corners are damaged, take a  straight batten and lightly nail it level with one edge of the corner. Leave the other side of the damaged are exposed. Spread the repair plaster or filler on the exposed edge. Smooth the surface off against the edge of the batten. When the filler is completely dry, remove the batten, and position it on the other side. Apply filler as before, and smooth level with the batten.

 

To skim plaster, apply the skimming plaster with your old paintbrush, using upward strokes. Do square metre areas at a time, brushing out the plaster as you go along. As the plaster starts to dry out, smooth out the brush marks with a plastic spreader dipped in water. If you think it can still be improved upon, sand it down lightly.

 

Fixing Wallpaper Problems

In this article, I’ll give a few tips about wallpaper problems, and the easiest ways of fixing them. First of all, I’ll deal with torn wallpaper. How often have you noticed paper that’s torn, which sticks out like a sore thumb? Begin by tearing off the damaged paper to leave a clean, bare patch. Leave the paper around it that’s still firmly fixed to the wall. Hopefully, you have a spare roll of paper to hand, and from that, cut out a piece larger than the area to be patched up. Hold this piece over the repair area, and move it until you have a matching pattern. Tear a patch slowly from this piece to get a rough circle of paper. Do not cut it, as a torn edge is less noticeable than a cut one. It helps to make the edges thinner if you rub them gently (back of the paper) with very fine abrasive paper. Apply some paste to the back of the paper, and place it over the gap. Position slowly and carefully until you’re satisfied that the pattern matches all round. Smooth down with a seam roller, working outwards from the centre. Wipe off any excess glue, and hey presto!—when it dries, the repair should be almost invisible. Talking of seam rollers, you can buy either a hardwood or a plastic one. They are also excellent for squeezing out trapped air from underneath wallpaper.

 

Tears in heavy wallpapers have to be treated differently from ordinary papers. When dealing with vinyls, tape a new large square over the area to be repaired, making sure of course that the pattern matches. Using a steel rule and a trimming knife, cut a square through both layers of paper. Take off the top one (the new paper), and remove the old paper from the wall, scraping it out from the centre, so as to avoid any damage to the edges. Spread vinyl paste on the new piece, and fit to the wall. You can use the same method for embossed and relief coverings as well, but hold the new patch over the area to be done, without using tape.

 

If you notice that wallpaper is peeling, you have to decide on your course of action by the extent of the problem. If it’s a small area, good-- you can apply paste to the wall, and press the paper back into place. However, if larger or whole strips are peeling off, then you should strip and repaper the area involved. You’ll sometimes see bubbles on the paper’s surface, which is caused by air trapped behind it. To deal with this, cut across the bubble with a very sharp knife. Once the air is released, apply a little paste behind the cut flaps with a very fine paintbrush (an invaluable tool to have around). Press into place, and wipe off any extra paste with a damp cloth. If the wallpaper is lifting at the seams, it usually means that not enough paste was used when it was being hung. Gently lift the edge, and apply paste, again with the ever useful fine paintbrush.

 

Stains on wallpaper can be unsightly, but treated fairly easily. Grease stains are quite common, and they can be removed effectively by covering the area with blotting paper, and then rubbing it with a warm steam iron. Stains on vinyl are different—do not apply any solvents containing chemicals, as they could easily soften the vinyl. If it’s something like coffee or tea stains, simply sponge with plenty of warm water.

 

If you have central heating, and there’s poor ventilation in the house, it can lead to condensation, which causes mould growth. Mould on vinyl is usually due to using paste with no fungicide. Soak the affected area with a solution of bleach and water. This should get rid of any old paste. Apply the same solution to the wall in order to sterilize it. So that no mould reappears, leave for between 4 and 7 days. When it’s dry, apply a primer, then an oil-based undercoat. Sand it lightly before repapering.

 

A tip to end with. When you buy wallpaper, think ahead, and get one more roll than you think you’ll need. You could easily have miscalculated the amount you need, but it’s always handy to have in case you have some of the above problems.